After announcing on July 12 that the $29 billion merger of Ahold and Delhaize is expected to close at the end of July, both retailers announced the next day that they have sold 86 stores as part of their Federal Trade Commission (FTC) mandated effort to part with overlapping U.S. stores before both companies can complete the larger combining of forces.

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear Wal-Mart’s appeal the $187 million class action judgment against it, meaning it must pay the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas’ judgment against Wal-Mart, finding that there was sufficient evidence to conclude that Wal-Mart breached its contract with its workers and violated state wage laws.

More than 21,000 former A&P employees will receive retirement payments thanks to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), the federal agency created to protect workers by assuming pension benefits from private sector employers who are unable to further fund existing pension/retirement plans.

Shareholders of Ahold and Delhaize officially approved the merger of the two large European grocery chains setting the stage for a mid-year closing of the deal which was first announced on June 24, 2015. Additionally, at its U.S, holdings, both chains are reportedly offering a combined 84 stores for sale in the Baltimore-Washington, Eastern Shore, Richmond (Central Virginia), Southern Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Lower Hudson Valley and Greater Boston markets.